Skanda Purana — Nagara Khanda, Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऋषय ऊचुः । प्रसुप्ते देवदेवेशे शंखचक्रगदाधरे । यच्चान्यदपि कर्तव्यं नियमो व्रतमेव वा

Transliteration

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ | prasupte devadeveśe śaṃkhacakragadādhare | yaccānyadapi kartavyaṃ niyamo vratameva vā

Translation

Die Weisen sprachen: Wenn der Herr der Herren—Träger von Muschel, Diskus und Keule—im heiligen Schlummer ruht, was ist dann noch zu tun? Welche Zucht oder welches Gelübde ist wahrlich zu beachten?

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: the sages
• ऋषयः: Karta (Speaker/subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), बहुवचन

• ऊचुः: said
• ऊचुः: Kriya (Predicate action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• प्रसुप्ते: when (he) is asleep
• प्रसुप्ते: Adhikarana (Locative setting)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-स्वप् (धातु) + क्त (प्रत्यय)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past participle) ‘प्रसुप्त’; सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन; पुं/नपुंसक-सम्भव, अत्र पुंलिङ्गे (in/when [he] is asleep)

• देवदेवेशे: in the Lord of the gods
• देवदेवेशे: Adhikarana (Locative setting)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + देव + ईश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (देवानां देवः—देवदेवः; तस्य ईशः), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• शंखचक्रगदाधरे: in the bearer of conch, discus, and mace
• शंखचक्रगदाधरे: Adhikarana (Locative setting)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शंख + चक्र + गदा + धर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (शंखं च चक्रं च गदां च धरति), पुंलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (Locative/7th), एकवचन

• यत्: what
• यत्: Karma (Object of inquiry)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (Nom/Acc), एकवचन; सम्बन्धार्थे (what/that which)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय (conjunction)

• अन्यत्: other (thing)
• अन्यत्: Karma (Object of inquiry)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), अपि=also/even

• कर्तव्यम्: to be done / should be done
• कर्तव्यम्: Karma (Predicative object)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) + तव्यत् (प्रत्यय)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (gerundive/future passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; अर्थः—कर्तुं योग्यं/आवश्यकम् (to be done)

• नियमः: a rule/observance
• नियमः: Karta (Subject/option)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (Nominative/1st), एकवचन

• व्रतम्: a vow
• व्रतम्: Karta (Subject/option)
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

• एव: indeed/only
• एव: Sambandha (Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण (emphatic particle)

• वा: or
• वा: Sambandha (Alternative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्प (disjunctive particle)

Speaker

Ṛṣis (Sages)

Tirtha Mahatmya

Tirtha: Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra (contextual)

Type: kshetra

Skanda Dialogue

Listener: The narrator/teacher figure of the episode (likely Sūta or a sage responding; not shown in this single verse)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A circle of sages in a forest-ashram near the kṣetra asks about proper vows while a temple image of Viṣṇu (conch, discus, mace) is shown reclining in the background, indicating sacred sleep.

Characters & Entities

• Devadeveśa (Viṣṇu)
• Śaṅkha
• Cakra
• Gadā

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Sacred seasons require appropriate dharmic adjustments; the sages seek authoritative guidance on the right vows and disciplines during Viṣṇu’s Cāturmāsya ‘sleep’ period.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

The discussion appears within the Hāṭakeśvara-kṣetra Māhātmya stream of Nāgara Khaṇḍa’s Tīrthamāhātmya.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

A query is posed about niyama and vrata during the Lord’s slumber; the prescription follows in the subsequent verses.